Difference between Dr. and Professor (3 Major differences)

Do you get confused about what to call your professors every time you see them? One of the common reasons is most of the professors use the doctor’s title before their name. It is one of the biggest doubts that most college-going students have is whether to call their professor a professor or a doctor. Therefore it is important to know the difference between Dr. and Professor.

Quick Takeaways

• The professor is the one whose primary responsibility is to teach the students.
• There are two types of doctors – medical doctors and Ph.D. doctors.
• A medical doctor is one who has received a master’s degree in the medical field and a doctor is the one who will receive a doctoral degree in a specific subject.
• The salary that you will be getting as a professor is lower than the one you get as a doctor.

However, you must read till the end so that you do not miss any important facts related to the difference between the Dr and the professor.

Who is a professor?

A professor is one who teaches you at a higher educational institution such as a college, university, etc. The primary duty of the professor is to teach the students and take part in different research. They teach the students in the post-graduation and graduate schools. The basic educational degree that you need to become a professor is a master’s degree and some related experience. If you are a college teacher, you may not get the title of a Professor.

Who is a Doctor?

The title doctor is given to two different individuals – one who has completed the Ph.D. and the second one is the doctor who has done a master’s level in a medical degree. It is very common to call a doctor in the medical field but what if you can also use the title before your name without going into the medical field? Yes, you can do it by completing the PhD in a particular subject you are studying. Once you complete it ask your friends and family members to call you by doctor.

What is the difference between Dr. and professor?

A professor is different from a medical and PhD doctor in some or another way. Therefore we will discuss how professor is different from both medical and Ph.D. Doctor one by one-

Professor vs. PhD Doctor

Factors	Professor	PhD Doctor
Education	To become a professor you will need to have a minimum master’s degree.	To get a doctor’s title you will need to get the highest academic degree which is a Ph.D. or doctoral degree.
Salary	The salary that you get as a professor is less. This is because you can become a professor just after your master’s degree. The average salary that you get as a professor is between 64,000 and $170,000.	The salary you will be getting as a PhD doctor is higher than that of a professor. It is because completing the PhD is very hard. The average salary for a PhD doctor is around $98,0000.
Duties	As a professor, you will generally need to create a course, give lectures, instruct the students, and give them the grades. In addition to that you may also get into different research going on.	If you are a PhD Doctor you may have to do some other kind of duties. You may be responsible for conducting research and teaching the students. Further, you can also use this degree to get a more high-paying job. Suppose you have done a Ph.D. in economics you can think of becoming a policy maker of the country or get into the research department of the country.

Professor vs. Medical Doctors

Factors	Professor	Medical Doctor
Education	To become a professor you will need to have a minimum master’s degree and need to give 6-7 years in post-secondary education.	To get a doctor title in the medical field you will need to spend at least 11-15 years in college and medical school to become a professor. It is because you will be responsible for the lives of the patients and one wrong thing can cause death.
Salary	The salary that you get as a professor is less. This is because you can become a professor just after your master’s degree and you are not doing a hard job. The average salary that you get as a professor is almost half that of a medical doctor and is around $84,177.	The salary you will be getting as a medical Doctor is much higher than that of a professor and even a PhD doctor. It is because becoming a medical is very hard. You will need to give more than 10 years to become a doctor. Also, you will need to gain a lot of experience to become a doctor. The average salary that you get as a medical professor is almost double that of a medical professor and is around $ 130k-360k.
Duties	As a professor again you will generally need to create a course, give the lectures, instruct the students, and give them the grades in a specific field you have chosen. The duties of a medical professor and a normal professor are the same: teaching the students. The only difference is the field of study that is medical field or other subjects. You may also need to go to another university or an institution as a visiting assistant officer.	If you are a medical doctor you will need to take care of your patients, diagnose the problem they are having and give them proper medication. You may also need to participate in various research that is going on in relation to the current health issues and diseases.

Note: The salary of a professor, Ph.D. doctor, and medical doctor varies based on different factors like area of living, position you are at, field of study, etc. 

Conclusion

Being a student it is very confusing to decide whether to call your professor a professor or a doctor. It is very important to know the difference between Dr and a professor. To become a professor you will need to get your master’s degree however to become a Ph.D. doctor, you will need to get your doctoral degree in the subject you are interested.

Further, a Ph.D. doctor is also different from a medical field. Doctors in the medical field have to complete their masters in medicine whereas PhD doctors will have to complete their PhD in any field they want to. Also, there is a great difference between the salary of a professor and a doctor. Doctors generally have higher pay than professors.

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